The following historical "coincidence" is widely known: when the tomb of Tamerlane was disturbed, the Great Patriotic War began on the same day. Several years earlier, in 1939, the burials under St. Peter's Cathedral were opened in the Vatican, and World War II began. Something similar, apparently, happened this year in the Krasnodar Territory.
In 2010, archaeologists of the Eastern Bosporus Archaeological Expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the village of Vestnik, which is located 40 kilometers from Krymsk, discovered a unique temple dedicated to the goddess of fertility Demeter. It was a real scientific sensation to find the remains of such a monumental structure, built according to all Greek architectural canons in a place where previously, according to scientists, only local barbarian tribes lived.
But the miracles did not end there. A unique barbarian necropolis with an amazing rite of burial of the dead was discovered almost next to the temple. The dead were not placed in the ground, but simply laid out on the surface, where they were eaten by wild animals. Traditions of this kind still exist among the inhabitants of Tibet. In ancient times, this custom was practiced in Persia by the Zoroastrians.
Under the steps of the temple of Demeter found in the Krasnodar Territory, a built-in altar of an even more ancient sanctuary was discovered. Apparently, the autochthonous local population easily recognized the supremacy of the new deity and even allowed the construction of a new sanctuary on top of the altar to their ancient gods.
By how monumental the remains of the temple are, we can safely conclude that it was a very revered place. For two centuries, sacrifices were regularly carried out on the altar of the temple, as evidenced by the large amount of ash found at the excavation site.
Demeter, according to the ideas of the ancients, was "responsible" for the harvest. It was agriculture, namely the cultivation and trade of bread, that were the basis of the economy of the ancient Bosporus kingdom, to which the entire surrounding area belonged. Moreover, some of the findings suggest that the Eleusinian Mysteries could have taken place in this temple: the most mysterious rite of antiquity.
An uninitiated person who even accidentally spied on this action was killed on the spot. The same fate awaited the adept, who "blabbed" what he had seen to others. The ancients believed that only those initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries could count on staying in Eleusium - the ancient Greek paradise, while the rest were prepared for the gloomy Hades.
The Archeology Foundation provided assistance in the study of this monument to archaeologists. For two years, its employees and volunteers took part in the excavations, helped with all available forces in the protection of the temple, tried to reach out to officials and convey to them the value of such a unique find for the history of the country and the region.
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In connection with the program announced by President Vladimir Putin to create tourist clusters in the Krasnodar Territory, with a proposal to create a museum exposition at the excavation site, or at least to provide security, the Fund turned to the governor of the region, Alexander Tkachev. And while the regional administration was considering the proposal of archaeologists, in the spring of 2012 a group of vandals invaded the territory of the monument and destroyed the altar plate of the temple.
Desecration of the temple altar was considered the most terrible sacrilege among all peoples in all religions. Even then, among the members of the expedition, who are well familiar with the beliefs of the ancients, the thought flashed that the goddess Dimetra would not forgive such an attitude towards herself. According to the ancient Greek legends who insulted her, Dimetra was punished in the most terrible way. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that in the Kuban, after what happened, an abnormally dry spring stood out, which had a destructive effect on the future harvest. The next event was the disaster in Krymsk that claimed many lives. These tragic events are fully consistent with the myth known about the goddess Dimeter. That is how decisively and cruelly Dimetra dealt with everyone who was somehow involved in the desecration of her shrines.
From fellow archaeologists, the Archeology Foundation learned that near the Crimean "black diggers" a burial mound on the Neberdzhaevsky reservoir was plundered. This is exactly the reservoir that many locals believe to be the cause of the disaster.
At one time, when this artificial water reservoir was created, many mounds were flooded. Due to the drought this year, the water in the reservoir has receded and exposed these burials. The marauders immediately took advantage of this and opened many graves. Scientists working on this monument also tried to draw the attention of officials and the public to the ongoing destruction of historical monuments, but were not heard. The police refused to open criminal cases. Now, among the local population, there is active talk about the curse for committed sacrilege.
And in the very last days, the news came from the head of the excavations in the Messenger, the sanctuary of Demeter, that robbers again attacked the excavation. The altar was again broken and the territory of the temple was dug up. On the same day, in the village of Taman, where the central camp of the expedition is located, a strong dust storm began.
You can treat legends in different ways, but few would argue that everything in this world is interconnected. The nature, material and spiritual culture of our ancestors have always been in a natural relationship. And, upsetting the delicate balance, we risk not only bringing serious troubles on our heads, but completely losing touch with the past - and therefore depriving ourselves of the future. Maybe it's better not to risk it? So - just in case of "fire" …
All burials in ancient times were accompanied by magical inscriptions with curses on those who disturb their peace. Here is one of the inscriptions in the Panticapaeum (Kerch) crypt, a city that was also part of the Bosporus kingdom: “With good luck, Sorak, the son of Sorak, the collector of fines, who built this tomb (heroon) from the foundation of a new one and did not throw away anyone else's bone. Let no one insult me who dwells here, and let no one disturb (my) bones; if someone insulted me or disturbed (my) bones or threw (them) out, then may he not receive fruit from the earth, not from the sea, and after death may he not enter Hades."
Material provided for publication by the Archeology Foundation.
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The Archeology Foundation, as a public non-profit organization, was formally founded in 2004. But in fact, it has existed for almost twenty years. In the early 80s, the organizers of the Foundation, as teenagers, went on archaeological expeditions every summer and actively conducted archaeological excavations. They have experience of several dozen field seasons, spent in various archaeological expeditions in Central Russia, Crimea, North Africa. Someone became an entrepreneur, someone a diplomat, someone an official, but their passion for archeology remained with them for life.
The formation of the Archeology Foundation in 2004 was just another natural step towards serving the science of the most ordinary people. That is why the Archeology Foundation today is a living, truly public organization that unites those who are not indifferent to Russian history and world culture.
Today, the founders of the Archeology Foundation bring their children to archaeological expeditions, invite friends to spend vacations at archaeological excavations, and in the off-season they invite everyone who wants to do something useful to a variety of interesting scientific events.